Peter Gabriel: Taking the Pulse

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Submitted by Dennis Russo on Mon, 11/03/2025 - 17:29

Filmed in concert at the Arena di Verona on September 26, 2010, this Blu-ray/DVD from Mercury Studios captures Peter Gabriel in great form during his New Blood Tour.

The Arena di Verona, an open-air stadium, seemed perfectly suited to Peter’s voice and music. Performed with only his backup singers (Melanie Gabriel and Ane Brun) and the New Blood Orchestra accompanying him—no conventional guitars, drums, or bass were used—the combination of voice, orchestration, and arrangement was incredible in the open air, coming across with crystal clarity.

The video was shot live, though some sequences appear to have been made in the studio—not of the performance itself, but to accent the music, such as a ticking metronome or sheet music slowly burning. The sound on the DVD was wonderfully captured: never too bright or dull. Every word and note was clear and intelligible.

The camerawork was stunning and engaging, shifting between split screens (sometimes two, sometimes four panels) showing Peter, the orchestra (at times the whole, at times by section or individual performer), the backup singers, the audience, and interspersed video imagery. It was thoughtfully composed—not a collection of haphazard shots strung together. I especially appreciated the varied shots of the orchestra, sometimes showing the ensemble playing vibrantly as the passages dictated, and other times focusing on soloists or small sections of musicians. The joy on the musicians’ faces as they played was wonderful to see.

Peter was center stage most of the time, moving back and forth a bit or occasionally playing to the cameras. The show as a whole was cohesive, never boring or lackluster. The audience, too, was fully engaged—singing along with the songs or on cue from Peter when prompted. During “Red Rain,” they were seated and visibly entranced, in contrast to “Solsbury Hill,” when everyone stood, clapped, and sang. (When they were cued to sing “Boom-boom-boom,” it sent chills up my spine!) Smiles and applause were everywhere.

Peter’s voice was excellent—he sounded as if he had stepped right off a record—and his backup singers complemented him beautifully. The New Blood Orchestra played perfectly throughout (I loved how, at the end of “Solsbury Hill,” they incorporated a bit of “Ode to Joy”). It was wonderful—progressive rock at its finest.

From start to finish, this was a great concert, expertly produced by Mercury Studios, as always. Speaking of the finish, I especially liked his encore set, which closed the concert with three songs—“In Your Eyes,” “Don’t Give Up,” and “The Nest That Sailed Away.” They fit together beautifully, ending with the soft, peaceful instrumental “The Nest That Sailed Away.” The final image of Peter at the piano with the orchestra under the night sky was, in my view, pure genius.

If you are a Peter Gabriel fan, as I am, you will thoroughly enjoy this 97-minute concert DVD. It’s a wonderful collection of songs that draws you into his world and makes you wish you were there—and thanks to Mercury Studios, you can almost feel as if you were.

Highly recommended.

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